It’s been a wild ride this year. After months of relentless rain that encouraged shallow rooting and lazy annual meadow grass, we’ve now been hit with the hottest, driest spring on record—alongside persistent drying winds. Turf management in these conditions is anything but easy.
Start With the Soil: Is It Hydrophobic?
In areas where you do have irrigation, the first thing you should do is assess whether your soils have become hydrophobic or water-repellent. A quick droplet test can reveal the issue: if water beads on the surface and refuses to soak in, your soil needs immediate intervention.
This is where Aqueduct comes in. Aqueduct and Aqueduct Flex can help convert your soil back to a hydrophilic water-loving state and reset the soil profile. Once the soil is absorbing water properly, you’ll get far more value out of irrigation, fertiliser applications and any future rain.
If your soil isn’t hydrophobic, it might still be necessary to increase the frequency of your watering and wetting agent programmes—or consider switching to a more robust wetting agent altogether, depending on your site conditions.
Mediterranean Mindset: Managing in the Heat
Let’s be honest—we’re basically growing cool-season turf in Mediterranean weather right now.
If you’re resorting to a lot of hand-watering, make it count. We strongly recommend using Advantage+ or Advantage+ Seaweed pellets during these conditions. These pellets are formulated for hand watering high-stress areas and are perfect for use on greens, hot spots, bunker faces, walk-off areas, and other high-traffic zones.
For Non-Irrigated Areas: Less Is More
In areas without irrigation, it’s best to leave them alone.
- Mow as little as possible
- Avoid aeration
- Avoid any other mechanical stress
The turf is already under severe drought stress, and the last thing it needs is more disturbance. Focus instead on prepping for when the weather eventually turns in your favour.
Be Ready When the Rain Returns
When the rain does return—and it will—you want to be ready to act fast.
- In conjunction with rainfall use Dispatch Sprayable across large areas at 2 L/ha across the course to maximise infiltration of any rain.
- For severely dry or hydrophobic spots, apply Aqueduct Liquid or Aqueduct Flex to rehydrate the profile and kickstart recovery.
Important
Make sure your soil is fully hydrated before spending time and money on overseeding, fertilising, or topdressing. If the soil remains dry to depth, even the best products won’t deliver results.
Final Thoughts
So far this season has been tough, no doubt. But with the right tools including Aqueduct, Aqueduct Flex, Dispatch Sprayable and Advantage+ you can maintain turf health, conserve resources, and set the stage for strong recovery when weather conditions improve.
Need help choosing the right soil surfactant or wetting agent? Get in touch with your local Aquatrols Account Manager – we’re here to support you through the extremes.
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